After drilling the various sections of a subterranean wellbore that traverses a formation, individual lengths of relatively large diameter metal tubulars are typically secured together to form a casing string that is positioned within the wellbore. This casing string increases the integrity of the wellbore and provides a path for producing fluids from the producing intervals to the surface. Conventionally, the casing string is cemented within the wellbore. To produce fluids into the casing string, hydraulic openings or perforations must be made through the casing string, the cement sheath, and a short distance into the formation.
Typically, these perforations are created by a perforator. A series of shaped charges are held in a hollow steel carrier. The perforator is connected along a tool string that is lowered into the cased wellbore by a tubing string, wireline, slick line, coiled tubing, or other conveyance. Once the perforator is properly positioned in the wellbore adjacent to the formation to be perforated, the shaped charges may be detonated, thereby creating perforations through the hollow steel carrier and the desired hydraulic openings through the casing and cement sheath into the formation.